This invention relates to dental attachments, and more particularly to a stabilized dental attachment for attaching a removable dental prosthesis to an adjoining fixed tooth.
As a result of broken or missing dentition, a dental prosthesis is often provided in the mouth of a patient. The prosthesis, such as a denture, must be securely retained in place between existing fixed dentition. Yet, it should be easily removable for cleaning, fixing, repair and replacement.
Numerous types of dental attachments are available for coupling the prostheses to the fixed dentition. Most of these permit removable connection. Each patient, however, requires a different amount of tightness between the prosthesis and the fixed dentition. Since the sensitivity level of each patient varies, too tight a fit may be disturbing to one patient while it may be comfortable to another patient. Most of the dental attachments, however, have a predetermined fixed amount of frictional engagement between the detachable parts, and varied adjustment is not feasible.
Additionally, after continued usage and removal of the prosthesis, the frictional engagement between the removable parts tends to wear and the denture becomes loose. Here again, appropriate adjustment would be desirable to increase the frictional engagement after continued usage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,516 describes an attachment for a denture having a female housing which is embedded in the fixed dentition, and a male assembly which is embedded in the removable denture. An appropriate adjustment screw is provided on the male assembly which permits increasing or decreasing the frictional engagement between the male and female portions to satisfy particular needs of a patient as well as to enhance the frictional engagement after continued usage.
While the aforementioned denture attachment has been most innovative and useful, there can result slight instability between the portions forming the male assembly. Specifically, some axial rotation can be introduced between the male members as a result of continued use. Additionally, the adjustability of the male member can cause breakage of the teeth under specific conditions. Also, the use of the adjustment screw is inconvenient and can loosen to cause slippage of the parts of the attachment.
Accordingly, while the aforementioned device has been found useful, further improvements in such dental attachment would be warranted.